


Call me, maybe

by wongweed



Series: snakes and pets [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, first impression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23987974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wongweed/pseuds/wongweed
Summary: Ten drags Jaehyun to the pet shop he visits since the day he got his own cat. And there he meets the adorable worker Lucas.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Series: snakes and pets [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682680
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	Call me, maybe

**Author's Note:**

> breathes. JAECAS. I will also die for this ship. gdi. Unbeta. written in one sitting. Sorry for any error.

"Hey, Jaehyun you promised you'd accompany me to the pet shop." Ten nagged, waking Jaehyun up from his afternoon nap. 

It was a Sunday morning in early summer and Jaehyun wanted to savour all of the sunshine and breeze he could get. Their shared apartment was on the third floor, and right outside Jaehyun's bedroom was the huge tree on the pavement. It provided coolth and shade from the harsh sun. Jaehyun was thankful to the higher powers for such a blessing.

"I….okay!" He wasn't lazy but finals had barely finished and he was exhausted. Exams, student council work, his extra club activities, and everything in between from everything. Not to mention the upcoming wedding of his cousin he must attend: a beach marriage. At least that seemed promising. "You're driving."

* * *

  
  


They parked the car in the parking space allotted to the market square, a five minute walking distance from their destination.

Huangs' pet shop, it read. 

Ten had been a patron of the shop since the time he shifted to Seoul three years ago for his studies at the S university. The shop's quite far from their residential; it takes about one hour to get here by car, situated at the outskirts of the city. The place was less crowded. Food stalls, hand-woven cloth shops, and other furniture shops lined along the streets. It held a nice ambiance, cosy, and serene compared to the hustling and bustling of the city.

Jaehyun couldn't argue why ten should visit the shop's near them at all. Even he began to like different kinds of trees on either side of the road. It felt different, somehow. An inexplicable emotion soothing him.

"It's your first time, right?" Ten pushed the door open, a chiming noise followed suit. The door was made of wood painted a tender shade of brown framing a thick stained glass. The glass surface had various tiny stickers of animals and birds circling a tiny welcome painted in dark green. The shop appeared rather antique from outside.

Inside was no different either. The walls were painted a shade of yellow —the one that doesn't hurt your eyes deflected by light— and they bore many stickers and other things to appear vibrant, jovial, and soothing. On the right to the door sat the desk with computer, documents, and many other things. The most noticeable object was the incense burner which gave off a mild and soothing scent. It was antique from the way it looked —a rich bronze colour with intricate designs etched on it.

It must be a kind of its own pet shop.

"I think Uncle Wong must be in the back—" Ten started, snapping Jaehyun out of his musings. The man had a smile to his lips, and for the first time in their friendship of years, Jaehyun found Ten quite strange. Perhaps, it was the atmosphere of the pet shop— there were wind chimes and other tapestries hanging from the ceiling, and Jaehyun was sure no pet shops should appear this —he frowned, biting the inside of his cheek: he doesn't believe in things such as supernatural— mysterious.

"Huh," Jaehyun blinked. He was still distracted, his eyes catching on things without his consent. There were so many intriguing objects hidden in the plain sight. The paintings —god, the paintings appear to be provoking one's curiosity: come here, touch it, feel it. The paint appeared too real instead of dried and slathered on a canvas. "Yeah… I'll be here." He had his eyes glued to the painting right above the cashier desk. It was a picture of a flowing river and a man —sun kissed skin, all lean muscle, and a gorgeous blush— under the thundering sky.

It was wild. Freedom. Breathing. Alive. Jaehyun found himself breathing for air unconsciously. Fuck.

He heard Ten chuckle. If he paid any attention to his friend, he would have seen the wicked glint in ten's eyes dancing and his smirk apprehensive, but Jaehyun didn't. "Stay here."

* * *

  
  


Jaehyun instead wandered further inside the room. Ten had disappeared to the door at the back and Jaehyun had no intention of barging inside private matters or places out of curiosity. He knew better than that. He was exploring the shop. From outside one would think the shop was small and cramped but the reality was a one eighty. The shop further extended to back —where Ten had disappeared to— and to right. The right wing is divided into five parts, categorised as such: canines, felines, reptiles, birds, and rodents. It wasn't huge like a Walmart but definitely larger than it appeared from outside. It surprised Jaehyun to his best.

Each section had a wooden board with cute drawings and hand-written list of species available in all kinds of fancy coloured markers. Safe for the strangeness the shop exuded, this thing was rather adorable and showed how much the owners cared for the shop and as well as the customers. Now Jaehyun knew why Ten preferred coming over here. He was certain the customer service was pleasant and friendly here, unlike some places where they trick the customers into buying unnecessary things. They also seemed to have a smaller section called toys at the very back and Jaehyun without much thinking dawdled towards it. Perhaps, he should buy Ten's cat a gift —a ball of yarn? Ten's cat is strangely smarter than the rest of the cats Jaehyun interacted with, and so he pushed the initial suggestions back.

On his way he passed the smaller sections of the pets. It was inevitable he got curious and decided to walk through from one end to the other and repeat while vying on the adorable creatures in their cages. Despite being locked up, the animals appeared rather cheerful. The biggest mystery being how the dogs and cats hadn't made a mess of the place yet. Sure not all dogs are aggressive to cats but this was completely baffling to Jaehyun. He wondered if the caretaker had disciplined the pets to beyond primitive instincts.

Then he arrived at the reptiles. And his breathe hitched.

* * *

"Hi, how may I help you?" It was a smooth voice. It felt like raspberry sorbet with whipped cream and mint on a summer's hottest day. Jaehyun shivered, startled, awed, and felt his throat dry.

Right in front of him stood a boy —he assumed younger and by two or three years— with soft black hair —just like the fluffy puppy he saw at the canine section— falling over his forehead. His eyes as doe as the orange cat he passed earlier who gave Jaehyun a Cheshire like smile —Jaehyun resisted the very urge to buy the cat because one, he is not ready to be a dad, and two, he can barely have time to himself, let alone a pet.

"How may I help you?" The voice rang in Jaehyun's ear like music, mesmerising. It was then the beautiful brilliant smile rivaling that of a golden retriever turning into a nervous lopsided grin that woke Jaehyun out of his unbidden fantasy. "Sir?" It was uncertain, the pair of curious eyes now veiled behind thick long lashes.

Jaehyun felt heat burning his entirety.  _ Hot damn! _

"I'm sorry," Jaehyun wanted to run out of the shop. But that would mean giving a false impression that the younger boy was at fault and caused discomfort. Jaehyun couldn't afford such. Not when the younger boy was adorable with the toothy smile he bestowed on Jaehyun.

"No. Don't be. Hahaha...I'm Lucas by the way. I help around the shop. So I assumed you wanted something." The younger— Lucas smiled boyishly, his cheeks tinged with flush. He sounded even more pleasant with laughter to his voice. Pretty. So pretty.

"I'm sorry. I zoned out—" Jaehyun attempted to save his embarrassed self. It was rude to stare at someone after all. And that's when he saw his chance to redeem his mistake. "The snake around your neck. Aren't you afraid…." Jaehyun could only hope for his brilliant plan worked.

"Oh her—" Lucas' voice was octave higher. He suddenly appeared buoyant, an unrest in his person. He reached for the shake's head that was on his right shoulder— a white python. No wonder Jaehyun couldn't see it at first as it got along with Lucas' white turtleneck. "She's been with me since she was a child. I'm like a mother to her. I mean... she's not that bad how some media outlets make them to be. She's a good girl."

Jaehyun could care less about the snake and media's opinion on it when Lucas appeared so gentle and lovable while talking. Jaehyun began to think the boy might really be a charmer and win customers at the beck of his hand, because Jaehyun never thought he would want to buy a snake just so Lucas would be happy, proud, and pleased. Lucas made it seem like snakes were the most precious and gentle creatures you could have as your pet.

If I were her, I would be wrapped around your neck too, just like her.

Jaehyun almost choked on the unexpected thought going in his head. He must escape before he uttered something humiliating.

Like, how much he wanted to slip his tongue down Lucas' throat.

The prospect of such desires frightened Jaehyun. He wasn't the type to lust after youthful boys with lean muscles, raspy voice, and beautiful eyes. No. Jaehyun hardly sleeps around, committed to his right hand as long as he remained single for the most part.

Yet, there he was getting indecent thoughts about a boy he barely met. Lucas.

"That—" Jaehyun began, rubbing his palm at the back of his nape. He was still feverish. He desperately prayed that Lucas hadn't seen the red of his ears. He could act all indifferent and stoic and cool, but his godforsaken ears would reveal every bit of his feelings. "Is new. I learned something interesting today. Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Lucas smiled. It was blinding. He was so fucking beautiful.

Jaehyun wanted to gush and kiss the boy right there and then.

"Here you are, Jae." Ten's voice came from behind. He sounded a bit relieved. Jaehyun wondered why. It's a pet shop. Not like war.

"Hey, ten. For another check up? Things well with her?" Lucas was concerned, untangling the snake around his neck. The snake seemed to know her owner, and she slithered her way down his arm. Lucas scooped her up in his giant palms. 

It was cute.

"Yeah. She's a bit moody these days. Turned out she fucked around and is pregnant again. I don't deserve this." Ten bemoaned in anguish. It wasn't new. Ten's cat was as active as her owner in the business of sex. She had given birth three times already and all the kittens were either adopted by Ten's friends or sold to this very shop.

"You might try to be a model example, Ten." Lucas laughed. Oh bless! 

Jaehyun has a type. Humour just happened to be one and Lucas seemed to have some. How not to crush over a guy you barely met. Jaehyun would like to order a book on that.

"Shut it, Wong." Ten grumbled, reaching out for Jaehyun's hand.

Jaehyun's attention was solely on Lucas. He caught a glimpse of astonishment on Lucas' features, and he wish it wasn't his delusional smitten mind playing tricks on him

"I'm ten's best friend, by the way." As embarrassing as it felt to announce such a matter, Jaehyun regretted nothing. It was worth it since Lucas turned all flustered and red and his smile wider than the ones he had given Jaehyun so far.

"Oh my god. Ew. You two are flirting." Ten's mock annoyance didn't matter.

Lucas seemed to try and deny, but one look at Jaehyun and he quietened, nursing his snake, and nuzzling to her back.

"I'll see you next time, Lucas." Jaehyun hummed with his dimples on display. It made Lucas even weaker, or so Jaehyun assumed. He reached for his back pocket, pulled out one of the bills in his wallet, and grabbed the pen he always kept on him in his front breast pocket for emergencies, and wrote his number down. "Text me."

Jaehyun was suave when he tucked the piece of paper in the side pocket of Lucas' jeans, followed by a wink before they exited the shop.

* * *

"He was the man in the painting—" Jaehyun exclaimed, his eyes widening, and his cheeks turned redder.

They were driving back to their place. Ten snorted. "Took you long enough."


End file.
